Four Matadors Named to All-Big West Softball Team

Four members of the Cal State Northridge softball team were recognized by the league's coaches on the 2011 All-Big West Conference Softball Team, the league office announced Tuesday. Jaci Carlsen and Mikayla Thielges received All-Big West First Team honors, Kristen Mihm earned Second Team and Jennifer Mosier was selected as an Honorable Mention.

"I would like to congratulate all the players throughout the league who made the team," CSUN head coach Tairia Flowers said. "I am proud of Jaci, Mikayla, Kristen and Jennifer for being honored after a successful year."

For the second-straight year, Carlsen claimed All-Big West First Team honors for her performance at second base. In 2011, the junior from Reno, Nev., batted a team-high .327 and also led the team with 31 runs, 50 hits, 12 doubles, nine home runs and 19 stolen bases. Carlsen was a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen bases attempts during the league's 21 game schedule and tied a school record with three steals against UC Riverside on May 7.

The 19 steals represent a new program Division-I record for a single season and the 12 doubles tie her for 10th in school history for a single season. Defensively, Carlsen posted a .962 fielding percentage in 265 chances.

Thielges enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Matadors, earning an All-Big West First Team award for her work behind the plate. For the season, Thielges batted .317 and had five doubles, 22 runs, 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. The 12 home runs are tied for fifth in school history for a single year and the 45 RBI checks in at sixth in school history for a single campaign.

In Big West action, Thielges posted a .382 batting average with three home runs, four doubles and 15 RBIs. She also was a stalwart defensively, finishing with a .968 fielding percentage in 189 chances. Other averages of note for Thielges was a team-leading .659 slugging percentage and a .471 on-base percentage, both of which led the team and ranked among the best in the Big West Conference.

Mihm ended her playing career with a strong finish, batting a league-high .463 during the conference season with five doubles, 11 runs and 11 RBIs. She recorded new career highs with 22 runs, 36 hits, eight doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs for the season.

In the outfield, Mihm had some of the best defensive range in the Big West Conference. In 2011, she posted a .971 fielding percentage with nine defensive assists from her centerfield position. She earned Big West Player of the Week honors on May 2 after batting a perfect 1.000 in a three-game series victory over Cal Poly.

Mosier was the final Matador to earn recognition, earning All-Big West Honorable Mention honors. She had 21 runs, 29 hits, three doubles, a team-high two triples, a home run and 14 RBIs on the season. Mosier also added 17 stolen bases during the season, giving her 38 for her career, the most by a Northridge player in the program's Division-I history.

Pacific, the league's champion, earned three major awards including Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman Field Player of the Year. Long Beach State picked up the two major pitching awards and Cal State Fullerton earned the conference's inaugural Defensive Player of the Year award.